


Big Windup! Superpower AU

by AspergianStoryteller



Category: Ookiku Furikabutte | Big Windup!
Genre: Baseball, Gen, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Superpowers, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-27
Updated: 2017-12-13
Packaged: 2019-01-23 11:46:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12506692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AspergianStoryteller/pseuds/AspergianStoryteller
Summary: Everyone has some kind of superpower, most of them minor. The Nishiura team kids goof off with them at their first camp, but Mihashi doesn't want anyone to know his. It'd be almost as bad as - nope. Still not as bad as playing Mihoshi Academy tomorrow.The ideas about superpowers being ranked, and that the most powerful, dangerous person is a harmless, sweetheart protagonist are used with permission from Aurorealis who wrote Superpedals, a Yowamushi Pedal fanfic.





	1. The Nishiura Kids Show Off

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Super pedals](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2368370) by [Aurorealis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aurorealis/pseuds/Aurorealis). 



'My cousin got evaluated yesterday,' says Izumi out of the blue. 'She's a Rank Three.'

 The other boys all turn their heads to listen. Mihashi's nausea has subsided for now, and he raises his head to look at Izumi from the back of the bus.

 'What's her power?' asks Tajima excitedly, leaning over the back of his seat.

'Levitation.' Izumi beams proudly. 'Like, _really_ high. She can practically fly!'

 'That so cool!'

 'What's your power?' asks Hanai.

 'I can see people's heartbeats. They look like...' Izumi waves his hand, 'A little red light flashing on your chest. I can see how fast it's going.'

 'Wow. You could be a doctor with something like that,' says Mizutani. 'Or a lie detector! What rank is it?'

 'One. What about you?'

 'One. I can change the spiciness of food.'

 'Eh?'

 'That's fun!' Tajima laughs. 'But is it really just Rank One?'

 'What are you?'

 'Two. I can alter the sound of music.' He demonstrates by making a song on his phone go from softer to louder, higher to lower without touching it.

 Mihashi claps, but hopes no one will ask him what his power and rank are. It's actually surprising, though, that they haven't talked about powers before now. It's a distraction from thinking about their upcoming match with Miho - oh _crap_ , he's remembered it again.

 'I can blow huge spit bubbles!' Nishihiro creates shimmering bubbles ranging from baseball to beachball sized and blows them at the other boys. Shiga laughs from the front of the bus.

 Hanai is a One, able to change his eye colour. Oki too, who can zoom his vision in and out like a camera, though not very far. Shino'oka describes how she can see some kind of scales above people's heads, though it only shows who is heavier.

 'Since Tajima-Kun and Hanai-Kun are close,' she says, watching Tajima lean over Hanai's seat, 'I can see more weights above Hanai-Kun's head.'

 'That's obvious,' mutters Hanai.

 'What if I go beside someone lighter?' asks Tajima? 'Or the same weight?'

 'If you're the same weight, the scales will be the same too.' Shino'oka pauses. 'Mihashi-Kun weighs the same as you, I think.'

 Tajima bounds down to the back of the bus where Mihashi is curled up, making Shiga yell,

 'Don't run when we're driving!'

 'Sorry, Sensei!' Tajima flops down beside Mihashi and looks expectantly at Shino'oka.

 'Hmm, looks like Tajima-Kun is a little bit heavier,' she decides. 'The scales can measure a few hundred grams of difference.'

 To Mihashi's dismay, Tajima turns to face him and says,

 'What's your power, Mihashi?'

 He squeaks and shakes his head.

 'Aww, come on. Is it embarrassing?' Tajima grins. 'Can you make your farts smell like anything you want?'

  _'_ _Pft!_ ' This gets a shocked snort from Mihashi, and cracks up everyone on the bus.

 'Can you tell if a girl is on her period?'

 'Tajima!'

 'Shut up, Tajima!'

 But he's undaunted.

 'Is it the power to grow fluffy cat ears? Can you grow mushrooms from anywhere?'

 He keeps listing all these ridiculous and embarrassing powers until Mihashi is giggling and in danger of falling off the seat.

 'Give it up, Tajima!' Mizutani calls.

 'Yeah, you made half of those up!' says Nishihiro.

 'I didn't! A guy I went to middle school with can really tell when a girl's on her period!'

 ...

 'What rank was he?'

 Mihashi curls up again, wondering if that would actually be worse than his power.

 Abe sighs beside him.

 'You don't have to say anything,' he grumbles, startling Mihashi.

 ' _Oo_ , you've been quiet, Abe,' Tajima coos. Abe winces. He'd been trying not to get noticed.

 'What's your power?'

 '... No comment.' 

* * *

 Over the course of the training camp, Sakaeguchi shows off glowing, swirling sparkles and Suyama turns small machines on and off with a snap of his fingers. Momoe reveals her weather prediction power, and Shiga, his ability to detect different types of brain activity, along with a lecture about them.

 Everyone's curious about Mihashi and Abe's powers, but they don't push it when Mihashi shakes his head violently and Abe growls. There is a lot of showing off though.

 Mihashi enjoys the days full of training and working, and practicing "looks good!" when they eat, but he can't sleep at night. He can't stop thinking that he's a bad pitcher, he can't change his personality, everyone's going to see how bad he is and they'll hate him, and they're going to lose to Mihoshi - oh _shit. Mihoshi_.

 'Mihashi,' Abe barks during the number training the night before the match. 'I said, are you sleeping OK?'

 His loud voice breaks Mihashi from his daze, making him jump.

 'I - I - I'm f-fine!' he squeaks.

 'You're lying.'

 Ugh.

 Abe sighs and puts down their number board.

 'Hey, Mihashi! Do you like this team?'

 Yes, Mihashi thinks. He's barely talked to anyone yet, but he likes them.

 'We've been at camp for four days and you're still nervous.'

 'One! Two! Three! Four! Five! Six!'

 'You're getting faster!'

 'I don't feel like we're getting closer.'

  _He's right._

 'Like when I talk to you, you never respond.'

  _Sorry, Abe-Kun. I want to._

 'And now when I worry about you,' Abe continues, 'You just lie to me.'

  _I_ _'m sorry._

 Mihashi's eyes burn with hot tears.

 'Argh, now it just looks like I'm bullying you!' Abe says, exasperated. He stands up.

 'I'll say this once. Don't use that all-out pitch tomorrow, and just follow my signs, or else we'll lose.'

  _Everything I say makes him mad!_ Mihashi thinks, wiping his eyes. _So I'm too scared to talk._

 What if Abe winds up hating him? What if he stops giving Mihashi signs? Then he can't pitch properly and they'll lose. It'll be like Mihoshi again.

* * *

 The next morning, Tajima sits up yawns, then peers at Mihashi, who thinks he might have gotten a wink of sleep. A wink. Seriously, he blinked at four-something and now it's seven o clock.

 'Are you alright, Mihashi?' Tajima asks. 'You look dead-tired.'

 Oh, the irony.

 'I'm fine,' Mihashi murmurs.

 They eat breakfast and pile into the bus. Mihashi didn't eat much. His nausea comes back as they drive to Mihoshi, but he doesn't throw up.

 When they start warming up his control is terrible. Every time he tries to pitch to Abe, he remembers that Mihoshi's first years, the guys who hate his guts the most will be there any minute. Kanou, Hatake.

 And then...

 There they are! Kanou is one of the first through the fence. He starts to wave - and Mihashi's off.

 He sprints through the bushes and collapses behind the clubhouse.

 'Ha - ha - ha...'

 Mihashi clutches his heart, trying to push down the panic he feels bubbling over. His power is on the verge of activating. The thing that he can control - the grounds are full of it. He feels it stirring, feels it as countless spots of cold in his head.

 'Stop,' he whispers, curling up. 'Please, stop. Don't come!'

 'Hey.'

 Oh no.

 Mihashi turns around and peeps up at Hatake, already wearing his catcher's gear.

 'Ha - Ha - Hatake...Kun,' he stutters.

 'You still have that annoying stutter, huh?' Hatake steps closer. 'Why are you still a pitcher?' he asks, face cold.

 Mihashi clamps his hands over his mouth and shrinks into himself.

 'And why'd you come back to play us!?'

 Hatake stops right in front of Mihashi, coldly furious, unforgiving. Mihashi can't meet his eyes. He hasn't been able to do that since middle school, when every gaze (not that they even looked at him most of the time) was burning with hate, or power. One of his seniors had a mild hypnotic power that worked through eye contact. After nearly being put to sleep before a game, Mihashi stopped looking people in the eye for more than a second, if he does at all.

 Hatake asks Mihashi if he's forgotten how much they hate him for staying on the team, for making them lose every single game. He lifts his foot and slams it into the clubroom wall, right beside Mihashi's head.

  _THUD!_

 He shudders.

 'Maybe I should've broken your arm.'

 Mihashi's heart pounds and his stomach lurches.

 'Would that have gotten through to you!?'

 No. Not his arm. Anything but that.

 There were a few times Hatake might've done it, he thinks. A couple of games when the score was really bad, and the spectators groaned with resignation. A long, disappointing practice.

 The memory of Hatake's frustrated, angry face and rough hands sends shivers down Mihashi's spine, and his power is reaching out again.

* * *

 Looking at Mihashi's pathetic, frightened trembling makes Hatake feel like a bully, which makes him even angrier. And for some reason his skin is crawling. There's this creepy, eerie feeling, like someone's watching him. He can't tell where it's coming from.

 Then Abe trudges through the bushes and Hatake leaves.

 'See ya!' he calls back, but it doesn't sound friendly.

 'What did he mean, break your arm?'

 Mihashi shudders.

 'Hey! If he meant that you can't keep quiet about it!' Abe yells. Shit, did someone actually try to do that?

 Mihashi shakes his head.

 He explains, tearfully, that Hatake is just angry because Kanou's a good pitcher but couldn't play because Mihashi wouldn't give up the mound. Hatake hadn't broken anything.

 Shit, there's no way Mihashi can play like this, he probably can't even stand up!

 Suddenly, he remembers what Momoe did to him; the warmth of her hands, the way his heart pounded, the way her eyes blazed with empathy.

 'Do what I just did, to Mihashi.'

 Mihashi's hand is ice cold. He's stubborn. He won't believe Abe telling him he's a good pitcher and cries even louder.

 But his fingertips are hard with callouses and blisters. Countless pitches have carved these into his hand. Just how hard has this guy been working?

 'I - I g-guess I'm - _sob!_ \- just not c-cut ooout to - _sob!_ be a p-pitcher!'

 He's not stubborn. He's got no confidence. Even though he's thrown so much, he still can't believe in himself.

 Those guys from middle school chased him out without appreciating or understanding him at all. The idea is so sad that Abe's own eyes flood with tears.

 He likes Mihashi. Even though he's an irritating crybaby, he works so hard, how can Abe not like him? Not only as pitcher, but as a person too.

 He really wants to help him play his best game. Is this what Momoe meant about the meaning of being a catcher?

 He tells Mihashi, and his cold hand becomes warm.

 'You think... I've worked hard?' His eyes are wide.

 'I do,' he says firmly. Believe me.

 '... I ... l-like being... a pitcher.'

 'I know.'

 'Really!? Abe-Kun? You do!?'

 'Yeah, I do.'

 Mihashi likes Abe too, which is nice to know, though it's weird hearing it.

 As they leave the bushes together, Abe looks down and notices there's lots of bugs around.

 Mihashi's telling him about Mihoshi's batters, so he almost doesn't see it: every single bug here is dead.


	2. Mihashi's Time in the Mihoshi Academy Dorms

 Although Mihashi does want to be a real ace, it's not the only reason he left Mihoshi Academy. It's also because of the dorms.

 His relatives are kind for letting him stay so long, but he really doesn't get why he couldn't stay through high school. He and Ruri are cousins for goodness sake. Maybe cousins can get married, but hardly anyone does that nowadays.

 Anyway, just the thought of staying there again, for three whole years this time, makes Mihashi want to throw up. There's no way he's doing that again. He'd rather sleep in a bush.

* * *

 

  _Mihoshi Academy, 2 years ago._

 During his second spring at Mihoshi, the relatives Mihashi was staying with went to visit their other relatives living in another prefecture. Just his aunt, uncle and grandparents went, so Ruri and Ryu stayed at friends' houses and Mihashi spent a week in the Mihoshi Academy dorms.

 It was awful. By now, the entire club, including the new first years knew how crap he was at pitching and hated him.

 Mihashi was put with a third year from the Baseball Club who's Soccer Club roommate was away. He got meals from the cafetaria and ate alone outside.

 Imayoshi ignored Mihashi, and it was lonely living with him.

 It was hard to sleep properly too: each day Mihashi wound up sleeping in and missing morning baseball practise and was almost late for his morning classes.

 Imayoshi actually asked if he was OK.

 'I-I'm fine, Imayoshi-Senpai,' he stuttered back.

 'Are you sure? You look really tired.'

 'I - I...'

 'You should sleep a bit longer...'

 Mihashi's arms trembled and he sank back onto his bed. Shit, he was so tired.

 'Sorry about my loud friends last night. Go back to sleep.'

 And then his eyes were shutting.

 But then he slept in the next morning as well, when he should've been less tired.

 On Thursday night, Imayoshi's roommate returned so Mihashi slept on a futon. He went to bed early and set his cell phone alarm. That saved him when Imayoshi crept out without waking him up.

 'Did you sleep in?' the other third year yawned, watching him cram his futon away in the corner.

 'If you can't sleep, you should ask Imayoshi to help. His power is hypnosis.'

 It clicked in his head that afternoon, when Imayoshi sat beside him in the clubroom, which no one ever did.

 'Did you sleep last night?' he asked, looking Mihashi right in the eyes. 'You must've been nervous about the game. You look tired.'

 As he talked, Mihashi realised he did feel nervous and tired.

 'Maybe you should take a nap,' Imayoshi said, his voice low and soothing.

 A nap sounded good, Mihashi thought, rubbing his eyes. How come he was so tired all of a sudden? He'd gone to bed early, hadn't he?

 'If you can't sleep, you should ask Imayoshi to help. His power is hypnosis.'

 Mihashi's eyes snapped open and he jerked away from Imayoshi, who was laying him out on the bench.

 'I-I'm f-f-ine!' he squeaked.

 'Really?' Imayoshi tried to meet his eyes again. Mihashi forced his gaze away, anywhere but Imayoshi's dark eyes that pulled you in and held you.

 'I'm OK, S-senpai.'

 Mihashi wriggled away and rushed his clothes on. 

* * *

 

 The next day, Imayoshi was nervous around Mihashi, worried he'd tell the coach about the sabotage. Mihashi didn't blame him though, they might've won the practise game if he hadn't played.

 He avoided his teammates outside of training and practised pitching into a net until bedtime.

 Weeks passed after that, and the other boys relaxed as they realised Mihashi wasn't going to tell the coach anything.

 They still avoided him though, except for one time when afternoon practise was over.

 They were changing clothes and showing off powers when someone mentioned they'd spotted Mihashi using his.

 'It looked like he was doing something to a cricket,' someone muttered.

 Mihashi froze, halfway through buttoning his shirt.

 'What was he doing?'

 'I don't know. I couldn't see it through the bushes.'

 Please don't ask me. This once, I really wanna be ignored.

 'Oi.'

 'Eeek!'

 Mihashi jumped and nearly stepped on Royama's toes.

 'Whoa, jumpy! What's your power?'

 'Um! Ah - I - d-don't... please...'

 'Speak up.'

 Mihashi whimpered and shook his head.

 '...D-don't want... say...'

 'Maybe he doesn't have one?' wondered a first year.

 '... Hey, Hatake! Come here!'

  _Oh no_ , not him.

 'Your power is making someone tell the truth, right?'

 'Yeah, but it's only like, a nudge,' said Hatake. 'Besides, even if I make him tell us,' he rolled his eyes, 'it's not like we'll understand him through that stutter.'

 He'd used his power on Mihashi before, without much success. It was only a nudge like he said, but it had been really uncomfortable staring into his blazing eyes, choking back words until he dribbled and Hatake turned away in disgust and guilt.

 'Then... Imayoshi, you too.'

 Mihashi panicked and tried to leave, despite having no shoes on. Royama easily lifted him to his tiptoes with his arms tucked under Mihashi's shoulders.

 'I dunno, Royama, is this a good idea?'

 'Come on, it's not like we're hurting him. Stay still!'

 Imayoshi sighed resignedly.

 'Alright. Hey, Mihashi.'

 '!'

 'Look at me.'

 Mihashi shook his head, eyes shut.

 'N-no!'

 'Argh, then listen. You're gonna relax now. Stand still.'

 Mihashi couldn't block his ears and Imayoshi's hypnotic voice echoed strangely in his head. His body started going limp.

 'That's it, Mihashi. You're calm and relaxed. You're not stutteringâ€¦ you can talk normally...'

 'OK, go Hatake.'

 Hatake's voice sounded hypnotic too now, burrowing into Mihashi's ears and into his brain.

 'What is your power?' His and Imayoshi's powers were nudging on their own, but together, they were powerful, forceful.

 The word rose to the front of his mind. A large part of Mihashi wanted to say it, let the words crawl out of his throat. His mouth opened.

 'N - n -'

 'What's your power, Mihashi?'

 No!

 He clamped his mouth shut. His body fought the false calm and started to panic; heart pounding and limbs twitching.

 'Mihashi!'

 The shout of his name shocked Mihashi's eyes open. Hatake caught them at once and trapped him. His gaze seared into Mihashi's head and dragged a thought up.

 'N - ne -'

 His throat closed up, choking on a thick lump of a word. Hot tears poured down his cheeks. It felt like everything in the clubroom was disappearing.

 Imayoshi murmured quietly in his ears and suddenly the block melted.

 'N-necromancy,' Mihashi whispered before fainting.

* * *

 

 From that day on, Mihashi wouldn't look Imayoshi or Hatake in the eyes again, and by the next year, it was everyone.

Discovering his power didn't change his relationship with the club much, or the school. Necromancy, or "corpse restoration" was an uncommon, but unpractical power, only useful to undertakers and priests who could "restore" a dead body for a few hours for a funeral. Mihashi didn't like to tell people because they often asked to see it and got creeped out, even when he only did it on bugs, or they got the wrong idea.

 Someone had carried him to the infirmary after he fainted, but by the next day everyone was back to not talking to him, except for Kanou sometimes, because he was a really nice person. He'd been away sick that day.

 Kanou knew Mihashi's power and rank too.

 'You should tell them, Mihashi,' he'd said once. 'Maybe they'll take you seriously.'

 'It's g-got nothing to... do with... b-baseball, Kanou-Kun.'

 'I know,' Kanou said, tossing a baseball up and down. 'But it'd be a start, wouldn't it?'

 'No,' Mihashi shook his head. 'T-then they'd think... not favouritism, but... scared of me...'

 '... Oh.'

 Kanou himself had never been afraid of Mihashi, but he got how other people would be. High-ranking powers were dangerous. It would be very easy for Mihashi to hurt someone if he wanted to. If he lost control.

 He'd been badly tempted to blurt it out during the game when no one would take the game, take Mihashi seriously.

 And in the end, he doesn't need to. Mihashi shows them how strong he is and always was. Kanou's happy, even as he's disappointed for losing.

 After the game a few of them have an awkward but air-clearing talk with Mihashi. To sum it up, they're sorry for failing to understand him (except for Kanou who did), Hatake still thinks Kanou's the better pitcher (how he say that after they've just lost!?) and no, Mihashi isn't lonely in Nishiura.

 That's when Kanou makes assumptions, forgets where they are and blurts out,

 'See, I told you it'd be fine if people know you're a Rank Five!'

 ...

 'What!?'

 'R-rank Five!?'

 'Seriously?'

 Oh shit. They didn't know.

 Mihashi makes a ridiculous face that nearly makes Kanou laugh - a wide mouth like a bird's open beak and startled, almost bulging eyes. Then they water and he feels guilty.

 'K-Kanou-Kun!' Mihashi squawks.

 'I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!'

 'You're a _Rank Five?'_

 'Mihashi's a Rank Five?'

 'What can you do?' asks someone from Nishiura.

 Mihashi shakes his head defiantly.

 'Aw...' the short boy who batted clean-up whines. 'It can't be that bad!'

 But Mihashi shakes his head again, and the Mihoshi boys suddenly realise that yeah, a Rank Five necromancer might actually be pretty bad. If a Rank Two can "restore" a corpse, what can a Rank Five do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  I'm surpirsed there aren't more "what if Mihashi had to live in/stay in the Mihoshi dorms for a while," stories. Even if it's just a flashback like this, there's so much potential for drama, angst and hurt/comfort. Or romance and friendship.  
>    
> Futon - a mattress-bed you can fold away in a cupboard during the day. Some people in Japan use them, but Western style beds are popular too.  
>  Senpai - upperclassman. Used on its own or attached to a name, towards older/more experienced students and colleagues.


	3. Mihashi's Power

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mihashi's explains his power to his teammates.

Chapter 3: Mihashi’s Power

* * *

 

 

It's not until the end of summer that Mihashi's secret leaks to the rest of the school. He and a few teammates were talking about Rank Fives in general during lunch and were overheard by accident.

 

'Have you ever met another Five?' Tajima asks before stuffing a riceball in his mouth.

 

Mihashi nods.

 

'There's only a few in Japan,' he says with his mouth full of rice. 'The one I met is another boy in high school.'

 

Unfortunately, they don't see the group of students walking by on the other side of the trees, and by the next day, the school is buzzing with the news.

 

'He's in this class, right?'

 

'That's what she said.'

 

Three heads poke around the classroom door, eyeing up the students eating lunch inside during the rain.

 

'Which one?'

 

'Apparently he has a really funny fa - that one.' He points to Mihashi who's giggling helplessly at Tajima's impersonation of their English teacher.

 

'He doesn't look like a Rank Five.'

 

'What did you expect? A giant? A mysterious pretty boy?'

 

' _Pft_ , he looks so silly!'

 

'Um, are you looking for someone?' Mizutani asks, wondering who's blocking the door.

 

'Um, we were wondering...'

 

'What are you turning shy for now?'

 

'Well it's awkward!'

 

'Is it true that this class's Mihashi has a Rank Five power?'

 

It's not that loud, but the question ripples across the room, silencing all conversation.

 

'Oh crap,' mutters Mizutani.

 

And the classroom explodes into conversation.

 

'Eh!? It's true!?'

 

‘There’s no way!’

 

'You gave it away!'

 

'I - I - Um! I’m sorry!'

 

'Oh my god!'

 

'Wow!'

 

'That's amazing!'

 

'What's your power?'

 

* * *

 

 

By baseball practice after school everyone knows the secret's out. They think it must be because someone's overheard them talking, but everyone in the club has talked about Mihashi's rank recently, so they don't know exactly who was overheard. They all apologize anyway.

 

Mihashi's even more reluctant to disclose what his power actually is now, in case it also leaks. The other students at Nishiura are curious about him, many are weary, but he's so unintimidating that it soon stops. It helps that the teachers, who already knew when Mihashi enrolled, tell students to respect his privacy.

 

The rest of the secret comes out during the Baseball Club's autumn training camp, when a snake gets into the dugout.

 

Mihashi finds it when he goes inside for a drink. He jumps and nearly drops the cup before he realizes it's dead.

 

I should throw it outside somewhere, he decides, before someone comes in and gets a fright like I did. And he needs to practise using his power anyway.

 

He reaches out with a line of power, throwing it out like a baseball is how he's always imagined it. It connects and the snake twitches.

 

Move, he wills it. Slither outside.

 

_'EEEEEEKKKKK!!!!!!'_

 

The boys all drop their bats and balls and sprint for the dugout where Shino'oka just entered to fetch something.

 

'Shino'oka!'

 

'Are you OK!?'

 

'What's wrong?'

 

She points a shaking finger at a small, brown snake twitching and circling on the ground.

 

' _Holy shit,_ there really is one this time,' Izumi whispers.

 

'Are you hurt?' Hanai asks Shino'oka.

 

'N-no,' she squeaks.

 

'What are you doing, Mihashi?' Tajima asks, immediately noticing him.

 

'Ah - um...'

 

'Are you OK?' Abe demands, pale with worry.

 

'I'm f-fine... Not... danger...'

 

'Not in danger? Even if that thing's not poisonous -'

 

'Are you controlling the snake?'

 

' _Gasp!_... Yes...'

 

'Wow.'

 

'That's pretty cool.'

 

'Can you control any animal you want?'

 

Shiga quickly speaks over the excited boys,

 

'Mihashi, are you able to send it far away from here? I don't think that kind of snake is deadly, but I'd rather not risk anyone getting bitten after you've let it go.'

 

'It c-can't bite anyone,' Mihashi says in a small voice.

 

'Really?' asks Abe interestedly. 'Can you control that too?'

 

Mihashi shakes his head.

 

'It's dead.'

 

This takes a few moments to sink in.

 

'Do you mean, you can control dead things?' asks Izumi.

 

'Y-yeah.'

 

'Like, make them move and stuff?' Tajima's eyes are wide with excitement. 'Like zombies?'

 

'Um, yes!'

 

'Whoa,' Mizutani mutters. 'I thought the most you could do with dead stuff was restore it like undertakers do.'

 

'Is it just animals?' says Hanai.

 

'Can you bring the dead back to life?' Sakaeguchi blurts out, with a hope in his voice that Mihashi hates. He has to crush it immediately.

 

'No,' he says firmly. 'I can't actually bring back anyone who's dead... Sorry.'

 

The light that was starting to burn in his eyes dies, and it makes Mihashi's heart throb sadly. This is one of the reasons he dislikes telling people his power. Everyone has someone they want back. People have begged him on their knees to resurrect that person, offered him money, favours, anything he wants if only he'd bring back their dead loved one. Mihashi's tried, but no matter how well he restores the corpse, even though it moves, it's just an empty shell that goes still and begins to rot after he releases it.

 

Later that evening he explains the other aspects of his power, all the things that add up to make him a Rank Five.

 

Mihashi can take life from other living creatures, that is, take energy from them, or give his away. He can restore dead bodies of any animal to a deceptive, almost living state, and make them move like puppets.

 

'That's actually how we discovered my power,' he says over pudding. 'The former principal of my primary school died and all the students went to her funeral...'

 

Mihashi remembers Ruri crying because she'd adored Principal Nishino. Kanou was crying too, and trying not to show it.

 

'Please wake up, Principal!' Ruri sobbed. 'Don't go! Wake up!'

 

Mihashi missed Nishino too. He wasn't sure what being "dead" meant exactly. His mum and dad said it was like going to sleep forever.

 

I can make bugs wake up and go outside, he thought. I'll tell Principal Nishino to wake up and everyone will happy again!

 

'Oh no,' Tajima grins. 'You didn't.'

 

'Wake up, Principal Nishino' Mihashi called, knocking on her coffin. 'It's time to get up now!'

 

_Thump!_

_Thump!_

_Thump!_

 

The flowers resting on top of the coffin fell as Nishino opened the lid from inside and sat up.

 

The adults fell silent one by one, gasping in shock. There were several screams.

 

Ruri gasped and grabbed Nishino's cold, pale hand.

 

Mihashi smiled at her and Kanou and held Nishino's other hand. It started to turn pink under his little fingers.

 

The adults finally snapped out of their surprise and rushed to embrace the old woman miraculously come back to life.

 

'Mother!'

 

'Nishino-San! Are you alright?'

 

She stared at them with dull, unblinking eyes. Her mouth was stuffed with cotton.

 

'Nishino-San?'

 

Up until a doctor arrived no one could get Nishino to speak or do anything other than sway on her feet or stiffly hug her family.

 

'I don't understand,' the doctor murmured as she checked the former principal's vitals. 'She's not breathing and she has no pulse.'

 

The mystery continued until Mihashi started falling asleep, and Nishino stopped moving. The doctor heard everyone's witness, paying special attention to Ruri and Kanou.

 

'Nishino Nagisa-San is dead,' she said gently. 'I think Mihashi-Kun reanimated her, thinking she was asleep. He's probably a Rank Four or Five.'

 

'Oh my god,' murmurs Nishihiro.

 

Mihashi was re-evaluated and confirmed as a Rank Five. From then on he would be visited by specialists twice a year to make sure he wasn't getting any crazy ideas about world domination or anything like that.

 

The re-evaluation also revealed Mihashi's powers over the living.

 

'I don't understand it much, but... in our bodies... cells are being recycled all the time, and, when they die, I can control them. Even stuff like hair and skin.'

 

When Tajima bravely volunteers himself, Mihashi touches his arm and "restores" the dead skin cells there.

 

'It tingles,' he says, examining the newly pink skin.

 

'It's amazing,' Abe says. 'I'm sure you could use this power for medicine if you wanted.'

 

'Huh!? Wha - no - I couldn't!'

 

Later that night again, Abe finds a moment alone with Mihashi and tells him his own power.

 

'It's kind of awkward...'

 

Mihashi gasps.

 

'C-can you tell when a girl...'

 

'What!? No! Oh thank god no. I can just see who a person likes.'

 

'Likes?'

 

'Yeah.' Abe checks again that no one can overhear them.

 

'If you liked someone, like you have a crush on them, I could see a picture of them in your mind.'

 

Mihashi gasps again.

 

'You can see inside me?'

 

'Only your crush, if you have one!' Abe reassures him. 'And not all the time. I can turn it on and off.'

 

'Oh... Ok...'

 

'I won't look!'

 

'OK!'

 

'I don't usually tell people because then they always want to know who likes who or if their crush likes them back,' Abe explains on the way back to the boys' bedroom. 'It's really annoying. And some people get really awkward about it.'

 

'Oh. Y-yeah.'

 

The bedroom is in chaos when the two return: pillows flying everywhere. And Nishihiro's gigantic spit bubbles that've been fused with Sagaeguchi's sparkles.

 

Then Tajima smacks Abe with a pillow and it's on.

 

And this time Mihashi joins in too.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Probably one chapter left.

**Author's Note:**

> Translation and notes
> 
> Kun - an honorific added to someone's name, usually your age or younger. Most often used on boys.  
> Sensei - "One who has come before." A teacher, or other kind of professional may be called this e.g. doctors, writers, go pros.
> 
> I'll change the title if I think of something better and possibly add more tags.


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